Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-07-09

The Iron lnOust1y OF tbc Spull.
New Orleans Times-Democrat: Pitts
| burg and the entire Pennsylvania coal
| and iron district are becoming alarmed
| over the rapid growth Of the iron in
dustry of the south. Many Pennsyl
v~anians who have been down south
have spoken so il~atteringly of its ad-
vantagcs that this alarm is not to be
wondered at. Even Mr.. Kelley, the
warmest and sturdiest advocate and
friend of the Keystone state. was COM.
PEELED to admit his fears that Alabama
could make pig iron more cheaply than
any, save the most favored portions of
Pennsylvania. and that the manufac-
turers of the latter state would have to
devote themselves more and more to
special iron industries IN which they
eXcelled. Other Pennsylvanians who
came south, including owners of fur
naces or r%olllng-mill plants, not only
reported in favor of Alabama, but ac-
trally moved their establishments to
the south. because it offered them
greater advantages in raw materials
than in their own state.
SO universally favorable have been
these reports that a number of the
PittSburg manufacturers who had be-
come alarmed over the iron boom in
the south, sent an agent down here
some time ago to investigate it care
fully, to report the absolute facts. and
whether they had anything TO fear.
This agent, Mr.. Il. X. Mcknight, re-
ports as follows:
1.-The fever to build in those states
is almost unparalleled. Capitalists
from the west, the north, and even
from England are rushing in building
iron works OF every description, wher-
ever they can secure a foothold OF
available territory. In the time | was
there | heard of fifty corporations with
plans for building in the near future.
At West Nashville alone there were
thirteen, among which there were bolt
works, iron furnaces and steel works.
Some time ago the town had a public
sale of lots for building purposes. In
two days it realized $3.50, 900. and that
town is but newly laid out. The Yves
Nashville Steel, Iron and Charcoal
company is now building two furnaces
with a capacity of $50 tons each. At
Sheffield, Alabama, the Tennessee
Coal and Iron Railway company is
building a furnace of 140 tons capacity.
The Sheffield Iron company is building
a furnace of $50 tons capacity. At
Admission, Alabama, the Noble broth
ers are building two furnaces. At
Woodstock, Alabama, the iron COM
pany of that name is also building q
furnace. At Birmingham the Tennessee
Coal and Iron company, with a capital
of $1,000 900, is putting up four new
furnaces with a capacity of 900 ton a
day. Chattanooga is to-day congratu-
lating herself with having the first
steel-rail mill in the south. Il is called
the Roam Iron company, and the mill
was put in operation last week. AT
Louisville the Union Pipe company has
just erected n new cast-iron pipe
works. This conveys but a faint idea
of the craze which is possessing cap
italists to invest in the southern iron
business. The country is literally
alive with schemes"
There is very little comfort in this
for Pennsylvanians; indeed, no ''strcng-
er or more favorable report has been
made in regard to the iron industry of
the south, and if it has any effect it
will be to send the Pennsylvania iron
makers down here by the hundreds.